Israel announced its decision to invade Lebanon on September 30—and so far, it does not seem to be going well. Israeli media has been largely silent on the state of ground operations, but Hezbollah has claimed a number of significant victories that suggest Israel has been unable to find its footing. Despite the assassination of General Secretary Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah and the Lebanese resistance appear to be unbowed. After all, this is an organization that was forged in the successful struggle to expel Israeli soldiers during the occupation from 1982-2000, and once again defeated Israel in 2006. 

Hezbollah's ability to deter Israeli advances on the ground are significant, but this has not stopped Israel's daily bombing of Lebanon, particularly in the Dahiye suburb south of Beirut. Dahiye and Lebanon's south are now in the spotlight of international media—which often reduce these places, the communities within them, and their histories of resistance to one-dimensional caricatures. Yet the people of these communities and Lebanon at large deserve far better, particularly now as they face the same genocidal war tactics Israel has unleashed in Gaza over the past year.

Roqayah Chamseddine, an independent journalist based in Beirut and co-host of the Delete Your Account podcast, joins The Real News with updates from the ground and a portrait of the proud people of Dahiye and Lebanon's south informed by her own roots and years of experience in these communities.

Audio Post-Production: Alina Nehlich

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